Display shelf clip-on devices



y 1966 o. R. ACHABAL ETAL 3, 5

DISPLAY SHELF CLIP-ON DEVICES 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 9, 1964 INVENTORS OSCAR R. AcHABAL H/ROSLAV UROSHEV/CH a HTT ORNE Y z y 1966 o. R. ACHABAL ETAL 3,248,765

DISPLAY SHELF CLIP-ON DEVICES 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 9, 1964 INVENTORS oscAR Ia. flcHAB/JL H/ROSUIV UROSHEV/CH United States Patent-O 3,248,765 I DISPLAY SHELF CLIP-N DEVICES Oscar R. Achabal, 2230 Kroger Bldg., and Miroslav Uroshevich, 1014 Vine St., both of Cincinnati, Ohio Filed June 9, 1964, Ser. No. 373,655 3 Claims. (Cl. 24'-81) Our invention relates to the type of devices that are supported on shelves displaying merchandise for sale whereby a particular item of merchandise may be supportedbeyond the edge of a display shelf to attract atmolding in combination with a receptacle or shelf exten-' sion' for displaying merchandise, packaged merchandise, advertising displays, leaflets and pamphlets.

A further object of our invention is to provide a releasable snap-on self grippingpackage container as a shelf extension that is readily attached to or removed from a ledge of a shelf.

Generally, it is an object of our invention to provide a releasable, removable self-gripping clip attachment for shelf extensions to support price tags, leaflets, merchandise, packaged merchandise,advertising displays and other materials in a manner that will emphasize a particular article of merchandise or displays to shoppers for public recognition and attention.

These and other objects will become apparent from a description of the drawings as set forth in the specifications forming part of this'application wherein similar parts are indicated by the same indicia on the drawings.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective viewof the preferred form of a clip.

FIGURE 2 is a fragmentary side elevation of a section of a shelf showing the clip in FIGURE 1 attached to the shelf.

FIGURE 3 is a perspective view of another form of a clip.

FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary side elevation of a sec tion of a shelf showing the clip in FIGURE 3 attached to the shelf at an upper gripping point.

FIGURE 5 is a perspective view of another clip.

FIGURE 6 is a fragmentary side elevation of a section of a shelf showing the clip in FIGURE 5 attached to a shelf at a lower gripping point.

FIGURE 7 is a perspective view of part of a shelf illustrating a pair of clips on a shelf edge supporting an elongated receptacle as an extension for materials to be displayed in front of the shelf.

FIGURE 8 is a perspective view of part of a shelf illustrating a clip supporting a band gripping a circular container as an extension in front of the shelf.

FIGURE 9 is a perspective view of part of a shelf showinga clip in combination with a support for leaflets, bags or other containers as extensions in front of a shelf.

FIGURE 10 is a perspective view of part of a shelf showing a clip supporting an unusual shaped package or advertising display as an extension of a shelf.

Referring to FIGURE 1 there is illustrated clip 1 made from a flat spring material. All parts of the clip are monolithic having a dep-ressible arm 2 adapted to spring back and revert to a normal upward original position shown in FIGURE 1. The arm has a depending apron ice 3 that terminates in a hook 4 which is the means to secure the clip to an extending molding 5 that is secured to a front edge 6 of a shelf 7. The depressible arm is integral with and extends up from a flat 8 of the clip. A platen 9 formed by the flat 8 extends at an angle to a depending trough 10. The trough provides a channel 11 in which other supporting elements 12 of different conformation may be inserted and supported by the clip. In one of the sides of the trough there is an extruded leg 13 that is at an angle to and integral with a side 14 of the trough. This leg reacts against a face :15 of the shelf or attachment secured on the edge of the shelf and insures that the clip will support a container or extension in such a position to expose information or legends on the container or extension in a most preferred manner. As an alternate this leg may be omitted by utilizing material of suflicient stiffness that there would be no flexing relative to the hook and lever.

FIGURE 2 illustrates that when the trough is loaded, reaction against pressure exerted by the loaded trough is accomplished by the arm 2 that keeps platen 9 flat on I the surface of the shelf. The ledge 3 exerts an upward force which is inhibited by the hook 4 in the molding and 3 this upward force is transmitted and converted into a 25' downward force through the arm 2 onto the platen 9.

IN FIGURES 3 and 4 there is illustrated another form of clip in which a leg 16 integral with the side of the trough is extended at an angle to the side of the trough. A top edge 17 of this leg impinges in a groove 18 at the top of the molding or any groove on the shelf edge and this edge is spaced from an underside 19 of the platen to exert pressure downward of the underside around a head 20 of the molding or any cavity on the shelf to hold the platen fiat against the top of the shelf. A lower head 21 on the molding impinges against a lower extremity of side 14 of the trough. In FIGURES 5 and 6 there is illustrated a clip in the form'of a distorted V. A side 22 has integral with it and cut from Within it curved portion 23 and a vertical standard 24 that has a hooked end 25. This standard forms a trough with one back side shorter than the other standard or front side 1. The front side I1 together with the short leg or standard and the molding form a trough in which articles are to be retained. The side 22 has a flat end 27 that bears on a horizontal underside of the shelf and this flat reacts against the underside of the shelf and stops the clip from rotation when the clip is secured on the molding by the hook 25.

The clip shown in FIGURE 1 is attached to a shelf by depressing the arm 2 downward. Its platen is slid over on top of the shelf and head of the molding. Pressure on the arm is released and the hook 4 interlocks .in the groove of the molding or any cavity on the extension of the shelf thereby securing the clip to the shelf in a non-rotatable manner. The clip shown in FIG- URE 3 is secured to the shelf by rotating it over the top of the molding of the shelf until the top edge of the leg 16 is seated in the groove of the molding of shelf. Reaction between the platen 9 on the shelf and leg 16 secures the clip in a non-rotatable manner on the shelf.

The clip in FIGURE 6 is secured to the shelf by inserting the hook in the bottom groove of the molding, extension, groove or cavity on the shelf. It is then rotated in a clockwise direction until the flat end 2.7 is flat against the bottom side of the shelf. The curved portion 23 presses against a depending ledge on a shelf similar to those on sheet metal shelving on the opposite side in which the hook 25 is secured.

Referring to FIGURES 7, 8, 9 and 10 there are illustrated various forms of receptacles as extensions supported by the clip on the shelf. In FIGURE 7 two clips are utilized to support a rectangular receptacle extension in which can goods, boxes and packages may be prominently exposed to inspection and notice in front of the shelf.

In FIGURE 8 a spring band is secured about a tubular container which may be tubular wrapped goods, bottles or can goods. In FIGURE 9 a special wire hanger 29 having a flat ear 30 that prevents the hanger from falling from a slanted to a vertical position. The hanger has two prongs with hooked ends 31 upon which can be removably hung packagers 32 through holes 33. While we have illustrated the clips separately and apart from the containers they support, it is obvious that the clips can be made integral with the containers. Our clips as illustrated in FIGURES 1 and 3 can also be utilized on metal shelving by providing slotted openings in a downward extending ledge of a metal shelf. Needless to say, our clip can be applied to any surface having a groove, slot or over-hanging lip or head.

While we have illustrated our clip made from flat material we do not limit it thereto. We have made a clip formed of spring wire that conforms in all respects to a clip made from flat material.

Having thus described our invention, we claim:

1. A snap-on clip adapted to be removably secured to a support having a beaded edge and lip, said clip being formed from resilient fiat plate material having an upwardly extending trough, a section cut-out from and extending outwardly of the trough at an angle to the side of said trough adjacent said support, a platen integral with and extending at an angle to the said side of said trough so as to overlie the support, a resilient portion cutout from said platen so as to extend upwardly and outwardly therefrom, said cut-out portion having a downwardly extending end portion extending beyond the bead on said support provided with an upwardly extending hook adapted to snappingly engage said bead, said cutout section being dimensioned so as to space the said side of said trough from the support.

2. A removable snap-on clip formed from resilient flat plate material into a distorted V, one side of the V having a portion thereof which is cut-out therefrom and upset inwardly f the V to form with the other side of the V a U-shaped trough, said cut-out portion having a downwardly extending hooked end, said one side having another portion thereof which is cut-out therefrom and upset inwardly of the V to form a curved arm which is spaced away from and upwardly of the said hooked end, said one side terminating in a platen extending therefrom outwardly of the V and forming therewith an obtuse angle, said platen being generally perpendicular to said other side and adapted to engage an undersurface of an associated support having a beaded edge extending downwardly therefrom, and said curved arm and said hooked end being adapted to snappingly engage said beaded edge to retain the clip on the support.

3. A removable snap-on clip adapted to be removably secured to shelves or extensions of beads on shelves, said clip having a trough suspended substantially perpendicular to atop of an associated shelf when the clip is secured thereto, said trough having a back side adapted to be positioned adjacent the said shelf and a front side normally spaced from the said shelf, said sides being disposed at an acute angle to each other, said back side having a cutout portion upset therefrom toward the front side and disposed substantially parallel to said front side to form a trough, said cut-out portion having a hooked end adapted for engagement with the front surface of a downwardly extending bead on the front edge of said shelf, said back side having another cut-out portion forming a semi-circular extension spaced away from said hooked end of said first cut-out portion, and adapted to engage the back surface of said bead, and said back side terminating in a platen at an obtuse angle thereto and projecting outwardly therefrom and adapted to engage an underside of said shelf to inhibit rotation of the clip relative to' the said shelf.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES. PATENTS 357,893 2/ 1887 Banta. 1,856,847 5/1932 Gates. 2,030,597 2/ 1936 Johnson 40-11 2,751,653 6/ 1956 Leibow. 3,019,954 2/ 1962 Faltin.

FOREIGN PATENTS 629,549 10/ 1961 Canada.

WILLIAM FELDMAN, Primary Examiner.

D. GRIFFIN, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A SNAP-ON CLIP ADAPTED TO BE REMOVABLY SECURED TO A SUPPORT HAVING A BEADED EDGE AND LIP, SAID CLIP BEING FORMED FROM RESILIENT HAT PLATE MATERIAL HAVING AN UPWARDLY EXTENDING TROUGH, A SECTION CUT-OUT FROM AND EXTENDING OUTWARDLY OF THE TROUGH AT AN ANGLE TO THE SIDE OF SAID TROUGH ADJACENT SAID SUPPORT, A PLATEN INTEGRAL WITH AND EXTENDING AT AN ANGLE TO THE SAID SIDE OF SAID TROUGH SO AS TO OVERLIE THE SUPPORT, A RESILIENT PORTION OUTOUT FROM SAID PLATEN SO AS TO EXTEND UPWARDLY AND OUTWARDLY THEREFROM, SAID CUT-OUT PORTION HAVING A DOWNWARDLY EXTENDING END PORTION EXTENDING BEYOND THE BEAD ON SAID SUPPORT PROVIDED WITH AN UPWARDLY EXTENDING HOOK ADAPTED TO SNAPPINGLY ENGAGE SAID BEAD, SAID CUTOUT SECTION BEING DIMENSIONED SO AS TO SPACE THE SAID SIDE OF SAID TROUGH FROM THE SUPPORT. 